Pine chooses a funky feel as the medium through which to display his virtuosity on the 60s sounding grooves as well as some straight funk flavours on this wide-ranging and accomplished album — there is some heavy organ, a smattering of sitar, some weird computerised stuff on Vibranium and some lovely understated double bass work.

For the most part, Resistance is made up of pretty straightforward songs, a lot less complicated than some of Pine’s earlier work, a lot more accessible perhaps, and there are plenty of floor-fillers here, music to get off your feet at the concert to and really get down to it. It all sounds like a lot of, high octane fun, especially the punky ‘Joan of Arc’, ‘Right On’ and the title track ‘Resistance’. If you can get down to one of the live shows in his current 50 date tour, having seen him recently, I would heartily recommend it.

I feel a certain amount of pressure to like this album, after all Mr Pine was awarded best jazz act at the recent Urban Music Awards, and is generally feted in all corners, including by me usually. The problem is I’m not sure I really do, it doesn’t feel like the act of resistance I would expect an album bearing this title to do, I find the popishness a little cloying, and the backing band are too much of backing band here, and the leash on their own virtuosities seems too short.

Resistance is out now and Courtney Pine is touring Resistance, at Warrington’s Parr Hall on 30 November, in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Gainsborough in December, and across the country throughout February. For all the dates go to www.courtney-pine.com.